Excerpt: "Gangnam Style, by the K-pop star Psy, has inspired a West Side Story-esque show of rivalry between two Bangkok gangs who are said to have had a dance-off before engaging in a gun battle.

"The INN website reported that the two gangs were dining in the same restaurant when 'the younger members of both groups danced provocatively at each other in the manner of top hit Gangnam Style'. The dance-off escalated into an argument and, eventually, a gun attack in the upmarket Ekkamai neighbourhood, in which one of the gangs fired at least 50 bullets from a carbine and an 11mm gun."

Excerpt: "Gangnam Style, by the K-pop star Psy, has inspired a West Side Story-esque show of rivalry between two Bangkok gangs who are said to have had a dance-off before engaging in a gun battle.

"The INN website reported that the two gangs were dining in the same restaurant when 'the younger members of both groups danced provocatively at each other in the manner of top hit Gangnam Style'. The dance-off escalated into an argument and, eventually, a gun attack in the upmarket Ekkamai neighbourhood, in which one of the gangs fired at least 50 bullets from a carbine and an 11mm gun."

Another over-blown blame music story by sensationalistic media obviously unconcerned with facts or truth. There is no evidence that the song or the music "inspired" a gang shoot out. It was a bunch of hot headed criminals provoking each other and weapons were used. End o' story.

The banner in the beginning is actually in English - it just says Gangnam Style. The horse is also saying Oppa Gangnam Style.

Thanks. The banner at the beginning is blurry, I wasn't sure what I was seeing. I suspected that might be what the horse was saying, but I'll have to watch the video a lot more times before I can read Korean.

It's the original music video, with PSY's vocals intact, (ETA: so long as his lips are actually moving,) but with the music removed, and with accurate-to-the-action incidental sounds laid over everything.

The dance scenes become... awkward... given this treatment. Hilarious!

I've always figured that must be an amazing feeling for the performer. I've been to concerts where the performer/artist can put down the mic and just play the guitar for an entire song while the audience sings for him...and they [the audience] loves every second of it.

It's the original music video, with PSY's vocals intact, (ETA: so long as his lips are actually moving,) but with the music removed, and with accurate-to-the-action incidental sounds laid over everything.

The dance scenes become... awkward... given this treatment. Hilarious!

That's almost...creepy. But it did remind me of the Michael Jackson video where you just heard a lot of foot steps and sound effects at the beginning, though I can't find it right now.

"I will only warn them like brothers and there will be no punishment,"

I'm having a hard time pinning down exactly how to express the way the above quote makes me feel. But overall, I think it's an awesome way to express his intention, one which is not culturally available IME to most Americans in the public sphere, and one which I wish was available.

You probably hear talk like this in church contexts. But work or military? I doubt it. But it's exactly the right thing to say and do sometimes!

Well, that probably came off as weird, but I wanted to say something about it.

You know, I can remember when predominatly internet-based memes took years or at least several months to enter the mainstream - "all your base", Mahir, that kind of thing. But as I speak these words "Gangnam Style", which I first saw linked a few weeks ago on Imgur, is number one on the UK pop charts!

If you'd asked me in June 2012 whether there would be a Korean-language single that spoofs Korean pop culture at the top of the UK pop charts (without the aid of an ironic Facebook campaign), I would have looked down and whispered "no". Now the whole world stands on the brink, staring down into bloody hell.

I think we can conclude that (a) Korea is the new Japan (b) Koreans "get" the internet. Three hundred and forty million hits on Youtube. More likes that most artists have views! I bet Psy's thinking "hang on, if I got just fifty cents for each of those views, I would now have enough money to buy a long-range Gulfstream V business jet".

I think we can conclude that (a) Korea is the new Japan (b) Koreans "get" the internet. Three hundred and forty million hits on Youtube. More likes that most artists have views! I bet Psy's thinking "hang on, if I got just fifty cents for each of those views, I would now have enough money to buy a long-range Gulfstream V business jet".

(South) Korea has been the new Japan in Thailand for several years now. (See thesis The Korean Craze among Thai Urban Youth: Thai Culture in Transition at Northern Illinois University.) For a short while, all things Japanese were a hit with younger Thais, but in recent years anything Korean is tops. Music, movies. Even older folks will watch Korean soap operas (dubbed in Thai). They're the flavor of the day. Seems to have lasted longer than the Japanese craze.

(South) Korea has been the new Japan in Thailand for several years now. (See thesis The Korean Craze among Thai Urban Youth: Thai Culture in Transition at Northern Illinois University.) For a short while, all things Japanese were a hit with younger Thais, but in recent years anything Korean is tops. Music, movies. Even older folks will watch Korean soap operas (dubbed in Thai). They're the flavor of the day. Seems to have lasted longer than the Japanese craze.

Korean dramas are becoming a big thing in the US too among college kids. But aside from that and Gangnam style, I really don't get any sense that a Korean craze is supplanting the Japanese craze in any meaningful way (in US culture, I mean).

I mean, you see Japanese cartoons on TV all the time, you never or almost never see Korean drama. And I don't see signs of Funimation or Viz slowing down any time soon. Video games still have a large Japanese contingent.

There is a little bit with Korean animation studios doing stuff, but that's more American (and sometimes Japanese) products having animation outsourced to Korean studios than it is a case of Korean culture taking over. Even in Hot Topic and other "trendy" places, they have a lot of Miku merch, but aside from maybe Gangname Style stuff (which I haven't been to confirm recently), is almost devoid of Korean stuff.

Korean stuff is on the rise in the US, but I don't think I agree with any assertion that the one music video and a few moderately popular K dramas with college kids makes it "the new Japan" here.

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong. Japanese stuff is still popular over here. Lots of Thais still do cosplay out by Siam Paragon on the weekends, one of our nieces included even though she's mid-20s now, and there are still lots of manga books available. But Korea's definitely become the flavor of the day in recent years. There's even a Thai singer in one of the K-Pop boy bands, a band called 2pm or something like that. And K-Pop bands seem to be the first choice among local advertisers for endorsements.

Korean dramas are becoming a big thing in the US too among college kids. But aside from that and Gangnam style, I really don't get any sense that a Korean craze is supplanting the Japanese craze in any meaningful way (in US culture, I mean).

I mean, you see Japanese cartoons on TV all the time, you never or almost never see Korean drama. And I don't see signs of Funimation or Viz slowing down any time soon. Video games still have a large Japanese contingent.

There is a little bit with Korean animation studios doing stuff, but that's more American (and sometimes Japanese) products having animation outsourced to Korean studios than it is a case of Korean culture taking over. Even in Hot Topic and other "trendy" places, they have a lot of Miku merch, but aside from maybe Gangname Style stuff (which I haven't been to confirm recently), is almost devoid of Korean stuff.

Korean stuff is on the rise in the US, but I don't think I agree with any assertion that the one music video and a few moderately popular K dramas with college kids makes it "the new Japan" here.

As a mother of small children I would disagree a bit. There are quite a few originally Koren TV shows which my kids love and we wouldn't have known they were Koren unless I had googled them (I am an obsessive googler )
Just a few examples
:PuccaYobi, the Five Tailed FoxPororo

But I assume you are right when you say Japanese shows and trends are still much more prevalent in the US.